Dundee Social Work Director Vows To Stay In Job

DUNDEE CITY Council social work director Alan Baird says he will not resign as a result of the Brandon Muir case.

Asked after the verdict yesterday whether he was considering his position, he said, “I won’t be considering resigning, I think I am the right person to take forward child protection services in the city of Dundee.”

Mr Baird was speaking along with Fred McBride, chairman of the Dundee children and young persons protection committee which has commissioned an independent review into the city’s child protection services, to be chaired by ex-Fife Chief Constable Peter Wilson.

Asked whether it was known that concerns had been raised at case reviews following the death about procedures, in particular the transfer of information between social services and the NHS after Brandon had been presented at his doctor’s surgery and at hospital with injuries, he replied, “Firstly, it is important to say that the members of staff who had some direct involvement with his family have not been able to be interviewed because of their status as witnesses at the high court trial.

“That will be the focus of the review headed by Peter Wilson and he will require to speak to them and find out what information and any decisions they were able to make based on what information was available to them at the time.”

Mr Baird said he wouldn’t comment on that issue other than to say that it was important to find out “what information was already known and what became available during the trial.”

Mr Baird added, “There was a great deal of information at the trial which was not previously known to the agencies.”

He said members of the public may have been too scared of Cunningham and Boyd to contact the social work department earlier but had they done so then Brandon may not have been killed.

“It is possible that if we had that information earlier we would have been able to save Brandon,” he said.

“There may have been an element of concern about putting them into a vulnerable position in the community but what I would say to the public is that they can report their concerns anonymously to us.

“We will act promptly to ensure the protection of our most vulnerable children.”

He added that he hoped the review’s findings would help other children living in similar situations to Brandon.

“I think Brandon’s death was tragic. He lived in circumstances that we now know were not right for young, vulnerable children,” said Mr Baird.

“We have to learn so that other children, in Dundee and across Scotland, can be protected in the best way they can be.”

Asked whether any changes had been made to procedures since the date of Brandon’s death, Mr McBride said the child protection committee and other agencies across the country were continually under review.

He said, “The various professionals involved make very difficult decisions, many of which are not at all clear cut.

“Certainly, our systems and processes will be looked at in detail in the review and if there are ways these processes can be speeded up we will take whatever action is necessary.”

He added, “I think in Dundee we have a very good record of child protection but any findings or recommendations that come out of the independent review will be acted upon very quickly.”

The review, which is in addition to a legally-required Significant Case Review, will be headed by former Fife Constabulary Chief Constable Peter Wilson.

The move was announced by Mr McBride who said, “Brandon Muir’s death has been a shock for everyone in children’s services from all the organisations involved.

“But it is not just the professional agencies that have been affected, the community he lived in is also grieving.”

The review will look at any potential issues for child protection services surrounding Brandon’s death, he added.

“Should the review indicate that any changes are necessary to our child protection procedures, we will ensure that these are implemented.

“If there is more we can do to involve communities in the role of child protection, we will also look at that as it is a priority for us to ensure that the public can get in touch with us if they have concerns.

“It is difficult to put a timescale on such a review but we’ve asked Mr Wilson to complete his final report as quickly as possible.”